Bridgwater cricketers crowned Somerset Major Cup champions

THERE were scenes of delight at the County Ground for Bridgwater as they produced an emphatic display to comfortably see off their Weston counterparts on Sunday.

Chris Skidmore (0-18) and former Somerset professional Steffan Jones (0-29) set the tone with just two runs coming from the first two overs, thanks to a mix of accurate bowling and sharp fielding,
particularly from Chris Gange at cover.

Weston kept their wickets in tact but their scoring rate was kept at bay and, despite a spilled catch in the deep, they only mustered 32-0 from the first seven overs.

The breakthrough came through Ed Habberfield (2-25) as ex-Somerset wicketkeeper Rob Turner snicked the ball behind for Stuart Standerwick to make no mistake.

Standerwick was then in action again – firstly, to give slow-left armer Mitchell Windsor his first wicket of the day, then keeping hold of one for Habberfield’s second dismissal – to reduce Weston
to 59-3.

The scoring slowed and Windsor (3-19) produced a man-of-the-match display with the ball to tie one end down and keep taking wickets as Weston fell to 78-6 thanks to a catch in the deep and a
run-out from Skidmore.

Weston re-grouped and ground out 119 from their 20 overs but it was little match for the in-form Bridgwater batsmen as openers Andy Hallaran and Mike Coles swatted the Weston bowlers into the
crowd.

Coles (65) hit five 4s and a 6 to help Bridgwater race to 40-0 after four overs. The pair settled down after tight bowling from the Weston spinners but Coles brought up his half-century in the 14th
over with consecutive boundaries.

Hallaran (41), who started the more conservatively of the pair, opened up to smash three 4s and a 6 and leave the team on the brink of victory.

Coles was bowled and Hallaran caught from a top edge but Gange (8) launched a 6 into the crowd to wrap up a convicning win.

Speaking after the match, skipper Coles said: “Hopefully, this can be the first of some more silverware this season. It would have been nice not to lose a wicket but it was a great performance from
the boys.”

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